How the heck did I gain a pound?!

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ashleydawnm16
ashleydawnm16 Posts: 17 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
So I am a total newbie to all of this and I know gaining 1 lb is not a lot but it is so discouraging when I've been doing so well and have lost 7 lbs so far. I weighed myself yesterday and was in shock that I gained a lb when I busted my butt at the gym and stayed within my calorie goal last week. Anyone else had this happen and it's normal? I have been working out (cardio/weights) 6 days a week, burning about 800 calories a day for about a month now. MFP says to eat 1650 cal a day which I do and I eat back about 80% of my burned calories. Am I doing something wrong or should I just keep chugging along doing everything I am doing and hope next week brings better results? Any tips would be great!

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  • editorgrrl
    editorgrrl Posts: 7,060 Member
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    Weight fluctuates day to day & throughout the day. With 28 lb. to lose, a realistic goal is .5 lb. per week. Log everything you eat accurately & honestly. Find reliable database entries. (There's a lot of incorrect data in there.) Weigh your food. Log your exercise, and eat back your exercise calories. If you're still not losing, eat back half your exercise calories.

    Read this: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-Sexypants
  • Achrya
    Achrya Posts: 16,913 Member
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    Um. Normal weight fluctuations? Poop? A little extra salt? Period time? Just ate an apple? Scale moved out of place? Bloat?


    It's such a small amount it could be literally anything and, honestly, is probably nothing.
  • SunofaBeach14
    SunofaBeach14 Posts: 4,932 Member
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    Um. Normal weight fluctuations? Poop? A little extra salt? Period time? Just ate an apple? Scale moved out of place? Bloat?


    It's such a small amount it could be literally anything and, honestly, is probably nothing.

    ^ This. I vary by around 3-5 or so pounds during the course of every day
  • Ninkyou
    Ninkyou Posts: 6,666 Member
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    Water retention.

    Increased exercise will cause water retention for muscle repair.
    Sodium intake, ovulation, period, etc also all affect water weight... but most likely it's from busting your butt at the gym yesterday. Give it a couple days, it'll go down.
  • kcelliott0207
    kcelliott0207 Posts: 5
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    You are a woman and hormones can play a big part of this. I always weigh myself first thing in the morning. Anything you consume can play with your weight. Try weighing in weekly and remember everything you are doing is for you to be a healthier person!!!:smile:
  • AmyRhubarb
    AmyRhubarb Posts: 6,890 Member
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    Totally normal. I weigh daily and my numbers go up and down all week long, as much as 3-5lbs sometimes.

    Track measurements and take progress photos too - the scale will mess with your head. :smile:
  • flumi_f
    flumi_f Posts: 1,888 Member
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    All of the above are possible and probable. Keep chugging along and look at your longterm trend over 2 weeks or a month. If that is downwards, you're doing fine. If not check your burns and your food logging. Machines and apps tend to grossly overestimate mine. I work with an hrm.
  • ashleydawnm16
    ashleydawnm16 Posts: 17 Member
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    Thanks everyone! My husband said I was being crazy and a lb was nothing to worry about lol but guess I had to hear it from you guys. One more question, I weigh 228lb right now and I set my goal to 199 but in reality I want to lose way more than that. I just feel like I should set a smaller goal for myself and then when I reach 199 I set a new goal weight. Is this a smart way to do it or should I be putting my ultimate goal weight instead of small goals?
  • Dnarules
    Dnarules Posts: 2,081 Member
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    I have to ask. What kind of exercising are you doing that burns 800 calories. That is a lot. I think you need to make sure you are not overestimating your exercise calories.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,372 Member
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    Thanks everyone! My husband said I was being crazy and a lb was nothing to worry about lol but guess I had to hear it from you guys. One more question, I weigh 228lb right now and I set my goal to 199 but in reality I want to lose way more than that. I just feel like I should set a smaller goal for myself and then when I reach 199 I set a new goal weight. Is this a smart way to do it or should I be putting my ultimate goal weight instead of small goals?

    Doesn't matter. I set myself a big goal right away though, as there was no way I was stopping until I was in a normal range (and I'm still not where I want to be now).
  • stephv38
    stephv38 Posts: 203 Member
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    Thanks for these posts everyone, I too have been wondering what happened in the middle of the night last night as I woke up 3 pounds heavier... :)To OP's second ? re: ultimate weight loss goal v. smaller goals.... Thats probably a personal preference but I would set my goal to the ultimate weight. Then set smaller goals achievable each month with rewards like a bottle of nail polish, trip to the movies, new top, etc. Keep one eye on the big prize and one eye on all your successes along the way!
  • ashleydawnm16
    ashleydawnm16 Posts: 17 Member
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    I have to ask. What kind of exercising are you doing that burns 800 calories. That is a lot. I think you need to make sure you are not overestimating your exercise calories.

    I do 35 mins on the tread climber and then 35 mins on the elliptical each day. I measure my heart rate on the machines and go by the calories burnt in the machines. This not correct??
  • CaliforniaAJ
    CaliforniaAJ Posts: 196 Member
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    I agree that 800 cals for 70 mins on machines does seem quite high. Sorry, but I have never come across an accurate read from one yet.

    If you are monitoring your heart rate, you can calculate calories burned here:
    http://www.shapesense.com/fitness-exercise/calculators/heart-rate-based-calorie-burn-calculator.aspx

    Let us know what the result is :-)
  • ValerieMartini2Olives
    ValerieMartini2Olives Posts: 3,041 Member
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    FYI... You are not burning 800 calories a day. 60 minutes of stairs and treadmill is MAYBE giving you a 400 calorie burn. I have gone on 2 1/2 hour hard bike rides and barely broke 800. An average gym session of 30 minutes of treadmill including running and incline gives me about a 250 calorie burn.
  • ashleydawnm16
    ashleydawnm16 Posts: 17 Member
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    I agree that 800 cals for 70 mins on machines does seem quite high. Sorry, but I have never come across an accurate read from one yet.

    If you are monitoring your heart rate, you can calculate calories burned here:
    http://www.shapesense.com/fitness-exercise/calculators/heart-rate-based-calorie-burn-calculator.aspx

    Let us know what the result is :-)

    So going by this website it says I am burning about 600 cal, so I guess I've been over estimating. I guess the best thing to do is to get a heart rate monitor to see exactly what I am burning. Is that pretty much the best way to get a really accurate reading? Any suggestions on a good one to get?

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